He has a long way to go but Thinkin’ Big’s Gloaming Stakes win has prompted Gai Waterhouse to talk him up for the Melbourne Cup 2018. No southern hemisphere-bred three-year-old has run in the Cup this century and the last one to be placed was the Waterhouse-trained Nothin’ Leica Dane… Read More »
Connections have spring options with Extra Brut after the progressive colt warmed to his task late to score a narrow win at Caulfield. Coming off a maiden win over 1300m at Sandown in his second start, beating Black Caviar’s son Prince Of Caviar, Extra Brut stepped up to 1600m for… Read More »
Tough gelding Monaco Snob has confirmed a rating as one of the most promising stayers in Queensland with his Sunshine Coast win. Monaco Snob ($3.50) made it three wins in a row when he beat Antigone ($8) by two lengths with 2-3/4 lengths to Colour Of Money ($7.50) in the… Read More »
Trainer Kris Lees has unearthed another three-year-old he hopes has Group One potential with Gem Song ready to take the next step after a benchmark win at Rosehill. The colt was sent out the $4 favourite but needed all the 1300 metres of Saturday’s race after getting caught in traffic…. Read More »
A man has been warned off for refusing to co-operate with the ongoing Racing NSW stewards’ investigation involving suspended Newcastle trainer Benjamin Smith. Neil Costello has been banned immediately until such time as he attends an interview and provides information to the satisfaction of Racing NSW. The consequences of being… Read More »
Ballarat trainer Archie Alexander has been given the green light to start his two runners at Caulfield. Alexander received confirmation on Friday that the 34 horses remaining in his stable had tested clear after a bout of strangles forced his premises into quarantine almost three weeks ago. With clear blood… Read More »
Charlie Appleby has a strong team of horses targeting Melbourne spring carnival features again this year and is hoping the campaign can begin in winning fashion at Caulfield. Saturday’s Caulfield meeting features the first of the England-based Godolphin trainer’s horses to step out in Melbourne this spring with Jungle Cat… Read More »
Toowoomba trainer Paul Nolan Jr hopes he will again be able to sing the praises of the QTIS bonus scheme at the Sunshine Coast. There has rarely been a happier trainer than Nolan when Spending My Time scored by a nose from Racecourse Road at the track last month. Spending… Read More »
What he lacks in size, Tarka more than makes up for in ability. The colt is now trainer David Payne’s sole chance to claim back-to-back wins in the G1 Victoria Derby after a trackwork injury to stablemate Toulouse. Payne won the 2017 Derby with Ace High and Tarka will follow… Read More »
Trainer Mike Moroney has Caulfield Cup ambitions for Vengeur Masque but fears the stayer may fail to make the final field. A poor draw in Saturday’s Naturalism Stakes at Caulfield hasn’t made the task to win a ballot exemption into the 2018 Caulfield Cup any easier. The winner of Saturday’s… Read More »
Renowned long shot combination of jockey Brooke Ainsworth and trainer Kenneth Deacon hope Yaba Dabyl Doya’s return to a suitable track will give them another big-priced winner. Yaba Dabyl Doya will tackle Saturday’s Marcoola Surf Club Handicap (1400m) over the the same course that produced his most recent win. The… Read More »
In a year in which he has ticked off the Epsom Derby with Masar, UK-based trainer Charlie Appleby is striving to claim a Melbourne Cup for Godolphin. Appleby arrived in Melbourne on Friday morning to watch Jungle Cat and Folkswood run in feature races at Caulfield on Saturday. The two… Read More »
Melbourne trainer Mick Price has been forced to send Miss Admiration to Sydney to give the mare her best chance to make the Caulfield Cup field. The MRC Foundation Cup at Caulfield on Saturday was Price’s first choice of race before he lodged a late nomination for the JRA Trophy… Read More »
Wayne Hawkes says there is hope for Chautauqua followers after the sprinter was given the tick of approval in a Flemington jump-out. Racing Victoria stewards passed the sprinter after he jumped out cleanly on Friday, paving the way for Chautauqua to have an official trial in his bid for a… Read More »
After a luckless run in his seasonal return, three-year-old Santos will race on a seven-day back-up striving to give Gai Waterhouse’s Tulloch Lodge a first Golden Rose win. The $1 million Golden Rose (1400m) at Rosehill was introduced to the Sydney racing calendar in 2003 and it has so far… Read More »
A horse Phillip Stokes missed out on buying as a yearling will have his first start for the trainer at Caulfield after a well-travelled career. Now a seven-year-old, Captain Punch, steps out for Stokes in the Grassroots Sports Club for Mirabel Handicap (1100m) on Saturday. Stokes was the underbidder on… Read More »
Talented filly Quanyin is set to confirm she is the bargain buy of top sire Spirit Of Boom’s first crop wen she races at the Sunshine Coast. Quanyin was third in a blanket finish in a top-quality three-year-old race at Doomben two weeks ago. She meets another smart field in… Read More »
Chautauqua has taken the first step towards a return to the racetrack in a jump-out at Flemington. Connections of the sprinter including co-trainers John and Wayne Hawkes, managing part-owner Rupert Legh and jockey Tommy Berry were relieved after Chautauqua jumped away in a four-horse jump-out on Friday morning. Wayne Hawkes… Read More »
Two horses from the stable of suspended trainer Ben Smith have returned prohibited levels of cobalt from raceday swabs. Iron Duke and Elaborate tested above the allowable threshold after their wins at Newcastle on August 25 and Wyong on August 26 respectively. A preliminary analysis of the swabs sparked a… Read More »
Quality mare Global Glamour returns to a happy hunting ground for her seasonal debut at Caulfield. The Gai Waterhouse and Adrian Bott-trained five-year-old is unbeaten in her two Caulfield starts and has not raced there since the Group Two Tristarc Stakes (1400m) in the first start of her spring campaign… Read More »
